


in the place of you and me

by DarkBeauty_890



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: A Pinch of Angst, Boys In Love, Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, a lot of fluff, a snapshot of their life through rooms of their apartment, because they are dirty teenage boys, because we get into, obviously crude humor, the fight, who love to talk about dicks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 05:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10937958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkBeauty_890/pseuds/DarkBeauty_890
Summary: “Can I tell you a secret?” Even murmurs, tracing mindless patterns- zig zags and hearts and stars and infinity signs- up and down Isak’s bare back. He circles freckles and counts them, adding them to his never ending tally of things to know about Isak.Isak snuffles sleepily, “Mmhmm.”“You have made me happier in less than a year, than I think I have been in my entire life.”Eyes flicker open, hazy green; beautiful and open, “Ditto.”





	in the place of you and me

**Author's Note:**

> Two in a week? Can you believe? This came from me originally wanting an angsty night after The Fight where Even doubts everything and yada yada... instead i give you this flufftastic mess.

There are moments.

Moments in nights like these, when the moon is high in the sky and filling up the bedroom with an iridescent sort of glow- and it’s warm somehow. It’s always warm no matter how badly the chill bites outside. There are the moments when it's quiet outside; so quiet that Even can hear nothing but the sound of his own mind  _ whirring and crashing and thinking _ , and it’s loud, yeah, it’s always loud in his head, but on nights like these it’s mitigated by the sounds quiet breathing next to him. Gentle puffs, every now and then a snuffle, and then just even breaths.

Even could lay awake at night forever listening to that little harmony. His own personal mixtape filled with nothing but the sounds of the boy next to him-  _ next to him in bed and in life _ \- and he’d be satisfied. 

He’d be satisfied.

 

* * *

 

“Are you folding laundry?”

Isak looks up with an arched brow, purposely splitting one of Even’s grey t-shirts in half, folding in the sleeves, and then smoothing down the front. Next to him is a white basket filled with socks and to the other side, two piles of cleanly folded shirts.

“No,” Isak still responds because he’s a little shit, as he dumps Even’s shirt onto their bed and picks up one of his, “Obviously, I’m laying out on the floor, smoking a joint, wondering when my man is going to get home.”

Even grins, dumping his backpack on the ground beside their bedroom doorway, “Your  _ man, _ huh?”

“Mannen mitt liv,” he amends tossing an errant sock at Even’s face, “I’m starving. Feed me, boyfriend.”

Even pulls out his phone, clicking it on for half a second, “It’s literally 16:22.”

Isak frowns, “What’s your point?”

“That you are waiting until it’s a nice, reasonable dinner hour.”

“Pfff,” Is all that Isak has to say to that, throwing another sock at him. Even catches it in one hand, tossing it back into the basket, before coming around the side of their bed and behind Isak. He presses a quick kiss into the side of Isak’s neck.

“How was your day?” Even places another kiss, and another one…

Isak snorts and bares his neck a little, just enough to make it easier on him when (it’s always a matter of  _ when _ , thankfuckinggod) Even decides to introduce a bit of tongue. “It was… great. Fine. Splendid. Magnific- _ ouch _ , fucker!” 

Even pulls back, eyeing the small red bite mark to Isak’s neck. “Good.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

And this-  _ this _ is what Even is living for. The shocked gasp when he runs his nose up Isak’s neck and nibbles at the skin just below his ear. It’s Isak turning around in his arms suddenly, snapback knocked askew, and tangling a hand in Even’s hair and pulling him down,  _ down _ to meet Isak in laughs and groans and nips of the lips. It’s seconds later when Even pushes Isak onto the bed and-

_ “No _ ,” Isak wails, when the piles of clean laundry tumble to the floor and any semblance of order was lost. And then a sigh and “God damnit.”

(They fuck all over the clean laundry and don’t eat dinner until like midnight. It’s the best.)

 

* * *

 

“How are you liking the new place?” 

Even hums, not really registering the words because Isak is  _ right there _ in front of him and he’s playing video games and he moves his entire body with it, jumping and jerking and cursing lowly at the TV every time something happens that he doesn’t approve of. And his nose scrunches like he needs to sneeze- but Even has come to learn that that is just his intensely concentrated look.

“Even?” Even blinks and brings his attention back to the phone.

“Sorry, Mom, Isak said something dumb.” Isak throws up his middle finger without turning away from the games and Even laughs, turning back to the bot of boiling pasta and giving his mother his full attention. “The new place is amazing. Well- the freezer has questionable substances in it and we have to get the door to the bathroom fixed because it randomly locks? But it’s perfect.”

And Even means it with his whole heart. “It’s perfect.”

There’s a choked sound on the other line, “I’m so glad. I’ve never heard you sound this happy.”

_ I’ve never been this happy, _ Even thinks, but figures that’s way too fucking cheesy to admit to his mother. So he grins, and knows she can hear the words without having to say them.

“Are you crying?”

“No,” His mother clearly sobs, “I never cry, you should know this. I’m like a, a... statue.”

“If I put you on with Isak, will that make you stop?” 

There is silence on the other line, and then a bright and happy, “Oh, yes! How did his chemistry project go?”

“I’ll let him answer that. One second.” Even turns off the stove and strains the water, thinking leaving it in the pot for a few moments alone wouldn’t hurt it. When that’s done he bounces to the living room, where Isak has already paused his game.

Of course, Even could just  _ hand _ him the phone. But there would be absolutely no fun in that, so Even slides down the arm of the couch, ignoring Isak’s grunt when Even’s elbow hits his side. A few seconds later and Even is half lying over Isak’s lap and Isak has the phone in his hand, switching off between glaring at the sudden growth resting on his thighs and running his fingers through Even’s hair.

“Hi Liv,” Isak greets warmly, flicking Even in the side of the head when he picks up the controller to Isak’s Fifa game (and promptly loses within ten seconds). “Gah- My chemistry project went alright, I guess. I think Even and I are going to a karaoke party on Friday.” Even looks up when Isak goes silent for a second and stares at the way his lips form around words when he starts again, cute bow lips stretching around words and smiles and-

And Even lets his eyes slip closed. 

The insurmountable peace of this moment couldn’t be ruined by anything.

Of course, that’s when Isak decides to lean down and bite the top of Even’s nose before grinning like a maniac.

 

* * *

 

“Even!”

Even groans, turning over in bed to put his back to the evil, evil noise coming from the hallway at eight in the morning. 

_ “Even.” _

“No.” Even whispers to himself, pulling the covers over his head. 

“Even, I’m bleeding and I need you!”

Even starts awake, heaving himself out from the mess of blankets and onto the cold hardwood floor faster than his mind can process the words. He tugs on a pair of boxers (probably Isaks, but who cares) and races into the kitchen, paying no mind to the way his shoulder hurts when he accidentally hits the doorway on the way into the hall.

“Baby?” Even jogs into the kitchens, eyeing Isak bent over the kitchen sink, a knife they use to cut fruit on the ground next to him. He picks it up and tosses it to the opposite counter before crowding up against Isak’s back, “What happened?”

Isak gestures to bowl of strawberries next to him and half-sliced berry on the cutting board, drops of red flaking it and rolling down the sides.

The sight of Isak’s blood makes his stomach churn.

Isak groans, “This is why I let you be the romantic one.”

“Aw,” Even murmurs, tearing his eyes away from the mess on the cutting board. “Were you trying to wake me up with a romantic gesture?”

“Maybe,” Isak runs his finger (which did have a nice little bloody cut but not enough of one to head to hospital for) in the cold sink water. “Never again.”

Even snakes Isak’s wrist out of the water gently and brings his finger to eye level. The blood that welled up in response didn’t seem enough for real alarm, but Even mentally mapped out where the bandages were just in case (bottom shelf, underneath the refills of Even’s meds.)

Isak sniffed, “Well, that sucked.”

It did, so Even kisses the side of his boyfriend’s wounded finger, and then one on his wrist and a couple pecks down his arm and on and on until Isak was holding his hand out to one side, but smiling into Even’s lips.

“Happy 6 months.” Isak laughs breathlessly, when Even hauls him up on the counter and steps between his spread legs. 

  
  


* * *

 

There is a cry and a sickening crunch- and  _ that was Isak _ hunched over, strangled breaths pumping in and out of him and blood trickling down his face in rivulets of red pain and surprise.

And  _ that was Even _ standing shock still, watching with wide eyes as Jonas screamed and shoved Isak back, taking blows in defense of his best friend.  _ That was Even _ , completely unmoving until Isak threw out a bloody hand in search for him, eye tightly shut, not wanting to show how much that fucking hurt in front of all of these strangers. 

_ Strangers. _

“Stop thinking about it.” Isak says, and Even comes back to himself. 

He blinks and he’s no longer outside of the karaoke bar, watching blood drip from Isak’s hand to the concrete below like a condemnation.  _ You fucking failed to keep him out this _ , each drop had screamed.

Instead, he’s standing in the kitchen, house keys gripped tightly in hand, probably grooving indentations into the skin of his palm.  _ Good. _ Maybe if it scars he can stare at that instead of Isak’s bruised face.

Isak.

Isak’s hand is brushing over Even’s face, soothing and stroking like Even was a traumatized child. Even now, with a broken nose and rapidly blackening eye, Isak is taking care of him. Even hates himself a bit.

Isak’s free hand slides into Even’s and dislodges the keys there until they hit the floor with a thud. And the sound jars him this time, truly jars him, and Even is closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Isak’s, and they are  _ breathing breathing breathing _ together, in and out, and then Even’s hand is brushing back Isak’s errant curls. 

“I’m sorry,” Even says, “I’m so sorry.”

Isak looks like he’d smile if it didn’t hurt so bad, “Are you kidding me? I look like a badass. All the girls in school are going to be all over me.”

He knows what Isak expects. A tightening of his fist in Isak’s hair, an  _ ‘oh really? _ ’ a ‘ _ baby you couldn’t get it up for them if you tried _ ’.

Not tonight. _ Not tonight. _

Isak’s careful look of lightness fades and he bites his lip, “I’m okay. I promise.”

“You’re covered in blood,” Even says lowly, “I’m covered in blood.”

“Then let’s take a shower.” Isak blows some air out of his nose in amusement and his eyes water. He has to look away, but Even scoops him up until Isak’s face is in Even’s shoulders and Even is burying and petting his fingers in silky smooth strands over and over while Isak breathes out of his mouth.

Even leads them to the bathroom silently. He starts the water, holds his palm under it until it heats up and, when the steam is finally billowing about the room and Even can blame the humidity for the way his eyes water, he turns back to face Isak.

“I’m right here,” Isak’s voice is hoarse, “But I’m so terrified that you aren’t.”

“I’m here,” Even says, coming close to Isak. “I’m here.”

Isak lifts up his hands and Even takes it as the signal it is, grinning weakly, as he tugs the hem of Isak’s shirt up, up and away from his face, until he’s bare-chested and goosebumps are crawling up his arms despite the heat. Even drops the shirt to the floor and discards his own even faster. Then he gets on his knees and looks up at Isak.

His fucking sun. Even now, from this angle, when Even can see most of the damage; the blood crusted at the edges of the nose and the swelling- the fucking horrible swelling. Even can see it all and there is still nothing that shines brighter. But he’s so scared that he tainted him today, with Mikael and Elias and Yousef and the other boys. Isak got a glimpse of his worst self, and Even’s terrified that the light will dim.

He closes his eyes for a brief second, but when he does, Isak’s fingers trace the strands of hair outlining his forehead. So Even opens back up and brings his hand to Isak’s zipper, popping open buttons and sliding down the dark wash jeans far enough so Isak can step out of them.

Isak’s boxers come next and then Isak is tugging Even up, eyes not leaving his while he does the same and slides Even’s pants off.

They step into the shower one by one and shut the glass door. 

And it’s them,  _ just them, _ here, right now, in this moment, staring at each other, watching water race and ripple down each other’s face, dampening their hair. 

It’s just them when Even leans down and peppers kisses down the side of Isak’s cheeks.

It’s just them.

 

* * *

 

_ You make me- feel like I’m living in this Teenage Dream- the way you turnmeon… _

Even pokes his head out into the hallway and raises a brow. The music, clearly on  _ his _ spotify station because Isak would never be caught dead listening to pop music, is up to almost full volume. Which is you know, alarming, considering the music is coming from the kitchen and Isak in the kitchen almost always equals disaster and mayhem.

He shuffles into the hallway and down the narrow space, surreptitiously sniffing for smoke as he goes. But there was none. Curiouser and curiouser...

Isak is sitting at the kitchen table hunched over, beating a pen on the corner of their poor, dented table to the beat of Katy Perry.

“Hi, baby,” Even says suspiciously, walking to the radio and turning it down a couple of notches, “Are you trying to wake the whole building?”

“Eh,” Isak waves a careless hand, “It’s like 11:45- they shouldn’t be so lazy.”

“Last week you slept until 14:45.” 

Isak grins at him and shoots him a finger gun, “This is true, but last weekend I also was so hungover that if I didn’t sleep, I might have, like, died. And that would have sucked, right?”

“A life without Isak.” Even muses outloud, grabbing a coffee mug with #1 Boyfriend on it. (It was a Christmas gag gift. And then Even promptly gave Isak the gift of gagging not long afterwards. Ho Ho Ho.)

“I can hear your sobs from here.” Isak throws down his pen, “Can we get a dog?”

“Ah no,” Even fills up the mug to the brim with coffee, “We have Magnus, isn’t that enough?”

A snort, “That’s funny. I’ll tell him you said that.”

Even sits on the corner of the table, thigh pressed against Isak’s pinky finger. “Why do you want a dog?”

“I don’t know.” Isak thinks for a moment, “I used to have one called Lea. She was good. And dogs are supposed to like- comfort people when they are sad and shit.”

“Are you feeling sad, baby?” Even leans down to press a kiss to Isak’s hair. “I can think of a few ways to cheer you up.”

“Not me.” Isak bites his lip and Even just- pauses. Because he gets it now.

So flashback a month. A rough month. A-special-Even-brand-rough month. One filled with a solid week of Even refusing to get out of bed and Isak going out of his mind insane with worry, sleepless nights, and guilt when he had to leave to go to school. 

“I’m fine.” Even presses another kiss to Isak’s forehead, “I’m better now.”

“Yeah,  _ now _ .” There was a blue binder next to Isak, one that he held out to Even with a sort of ‘ta da but also please don’t hate me’ grimace, “I did some research and like- maybe it could help? When I’m not around, you wouldn’t be alone?”

Green eyes, wide and earnest, and a bitten cupid’s bow.

Even accepted the binder warily, “Not right now. But maybe. Maybe later.”

(Isak made them hot dogs for lunch and then cackled like a hyena when Even called him on the obvious pun.)

 

* * *

 

“So I have a question.”

Isak shoots an immediate look to Even. A ‘ _ here we go brace yourself for the utter nonsense’ _ and Even tries to smother his responding smirk. “Go on, Magnus.”

“Oh dear Jesus, Magnus don’t.” Jonas protests, and Even has to sit up because if this is a pre-rehearsed question that was shot down by the other boys in their squad- it had to be a good one.

Even takes another sip of beer before handing the bottle to Isak. They were curled up on their couch in the living room, Isak’s feet thrown over Even’s lap while the rest of the squad spread out on the floor.

“What’s better- sex with a girl or boy?”

_ Record scratch. _

Isak is silent for a moment with his mouth hung open, before he reaches behind himself and chucks a throw pillow and Magnus’s head, “What the  _ fuck _ , Magnus?”

“What?” He dodges the pillow and throws his hands up helplessly, “I’m curious- we were all curious! And it’s not like Me, Mahid, or Jonas would know!”

Isak’s voice was high-pitched, “Well I sure as fuck don’t know! I’ve never gone that far with a girl.”

“No shit,” Magnus shoots back, “The question wasn’t directed at you.”

Isak looks confused for a second before glancing at Even. He gets a minorly pinched look on his face before it smoothes out. Even thinks Isak is at his most adorable when he is grumpy, so he considers the quick moment a win.

“Even! My man!” Magnus leans forward to smack his shin, “Give us the deets. Don’t hold back. Isak can go into another room if you want to tell us the truth. Because I really don’t see how dudes can beat a chick- I mean, how does having, uh,  _ it _ up there equal pleasure?”

Isak slides a slumps a little in his seat to throw a leg out and kick Magnus, “I can assure you, Magnus, it feel fucking fantastic.”

Even chuckles at their squabbles and leans back on the couch. What feels better? What a fucking weird question.

“You don’t have to answer.” Isak sniffs, clearly a little put out that Even didn’t immediately answer boys.

“So it  _ is _ chicks,” Magnus nods, satisfied and then looks to Isak, “Tough break, man.”

“Not girls.” Even runs a hand through his hair, “Not boys. Isak. Isak is the best I ever had.”

“So… boys then?” Isak narrows his eyes.

“No. Or- I guess? But no. Sex is about the person, for me, I think. Sonja and I- it was good. Mutually satisfactory there-” “Ew.” “-but the feelings that were there weren’t always like  _ strong _ . With Isak though?” Even shakes his head and shrugs, “Isak is the best sex I’ve ever had because I love him.”

The boys aww, but Isak is not among them. So Even looks to his side to find Isak already watching him, lips parted slightly, eyes wide. 

And, like, what? Why is he looking- looking like-

“Oh fuck,” Even groans, throwing an arm over his face.

Isak’s voice is low, slow, “Did you just tell me you loved me for the first time to answer Magnus’s question about who fucks the best?”

Jesus Christ.  _ Jesus Fucking Christ _ . He’s done fucked up this one.  That’s a wrap on his relationship with Isak, right there. He’s going to tear him a new one and then Even is going to have to move to the moon.

“You all need to leave,” Isak is shoving off of the couch and throwing shoes at the boys, “Take the beer, but you guys have got to go.”

“What?” Mahdi curses when a shoe hits him in the side of the head, “Why?”

Isak stops, all dramatic like, “Because my boyfriend just told me he loved he and I can’t decide whether I am going to strangle him or blow him right here on the couch.”

Jonas hops up, “Time to go!”

 

* * *

 

“I think this place is haunted,” Isak says, sitting cross-legged on their couch and munching on a bowl of cereal. “Like ghosts and ghouls and all the spooky stuff. Maybe someone even died here.”

Even wipes his dripping hair with a fluffy white towel, grinning when the steady  _ crunch _ of Isak’s cereal grows slower the longer Isak looks at his clean, naked chest (the chest with water still dripping down, he knows what Isak likes).

“Why do you say that?”

“Hmm?” Isak questions, before shaking himself and taking another bite, “This morning at like- 3am, I swear to God I heard someone moving around in the kitchen. Weirdest thing.”

“Uh huh,” Even rolls his eyes, “Please continue.”

Isak takes another bite, “And then again at 4 and 5- and, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you? Especially since our bed was mysteriously missing one occupant all night?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh,” And  _ no no _ , Even knew that frown, “Is it me? Are you regretting moving in here? Do you need your space?”

Even walked over to the couch and sat on the edge, shaking his head like a dog just to make Isak crazy, “Course not, baby. Nothing to do with you. Moving in here is the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Isak points his spoon at him, “We’ve been here for like a week.”

“Best week ever.”

“Then what is it?”

“I was planning an elaborate proposal with a thousand hand-folded paper swans. And then I had to fill up a hundred red heart balloons with glitter in them.” The spoon clunked loudly against Isak’s bowl and Even chuckled, “I’m joking. I had a cup of coffee before bed, which I’ve learned is a no-no.”

“You are the worst.”

_ You love me _ , Even almost says, but tugs on Isak’s ear instead, “And you are the cutest. Shower is yours. We need to leave for school in half an hour.”

 

* * *

 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Even murmurs, tracing mindless patterns- zig zags and hearts and stars and infinity signs- up and down Isak’s bare back. He circles freckles and counts them, adding them to his never ending tally of things to know about Isak.

Isak snuffles sleepily, “Mmhmm.”

“You have made me happier in less than a year, than I think I have been in my entire life.”

Eyes flicker open, hazy green; beautiful and open, “Ditto.”

He can’t help but laugh, now sliding his whole palm up and down the expanse of skin, “Ditto?”

“Yeah,” Isak whispers, and his voice rings of sincerity, so Even doesn’t have the heart to bust of him on the lack of romanticism.

“Yeah?” A breath comes out slowly, and mingles in between the small space between their faces. Isak nods, and Even says again, “Yeah.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> If you did, I'd really love it if you popped on down and hit the Kudos Button! And even more than that, I love to know what you thought of my story or Skam in general, so please leave a comment!
> 
> And if you want to keep the party going, I post drabbles and headcanons every day on my tumblr that I don't post on A03! That would be: tumblr
> 
> And yeah! Thank you for reading and I hope you had a decent time!!


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